"In Ink, On Newsprint"

For those of us hoping to work for a newspaper, magazine, or something similar in the near future- read On Campus: How It's Done- and read it carefully. I find that the most important advice author Conrad Fink gives the reader is: "No clips? Forget It." The main thing job interviewers want to see is "the published proof of your committment to journalism, the track record -- in ink, on newsprint -- of your progress from faltering beginner to accomplished campus journalist." If you can't cover the news on and around your campus, how do you expect to cover the news around your city/town? Without examples that show your ability (or lack there of) to write an acceptable article, it is unlikely that a simple resume will be enough to prove you are the one for the job.

I am currently in the process of filling out internship applications and many businesses require clips to be considered for the job. Knowing this day would someday come, I have been a part of the Campus Chronicle staff for some time now. They do not expect perfection. They want to see where you started and what you have become. Sure, the application process is tedius work and takes some time. But there is no need to stress. The moment you are accepted as a new member of the company, the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment takes over. But I'm warning you --walk in to an interview with no clips and don't expect a call back.